Downtime is in Fact, Productive Time

.
Last year, 55% of respondents to a survey said they were stressed out daily. Twenty-two percent even said they were angry daily. And just look at what we’re reading: According to data released by Barnes & Noble, mental health self-help books now outsell weight-loss, diet, and exercise tomes.
.
All this stress and anxiety is wreaking havoc on our mental and physical health. Among the long list of health issues tied to prolonged stress and anxiety is cardiovascular diseases, major gut issues, serious prenatal concerns—and that’s just from updated research from this year alone.
.
But with the increased pressure to be “always on” comes backlash: the prioritization of time off.
.
It may seem counterintuitive, but we now need to start accepting that downtime, is in fact, productive.
.
It’s not all about how much productivity you can get out of yourself. In the past, be it with physical labor or a more industrial society, there were boundaries in your work life. You would be at work, and then at a certain time, you would leave, and there was no way to continue working. It protected us from burnout. Now, with cellphones and being able to work remotely, that doesn’t exist anymore.
.
It’s like cars have been invented but seat belts haven’t. We have the ability to work all the time but haven’t built up societal customs or protections to remind us that we really shouldn’t be.
.
And here’s the thing: We know stepping away from work is actually beneficial in the long run. So many people think they ‘win the game’ if they optimize their life, limit how much they need to sleep, and always push themselves, but what we’re starting to learn is that it might work for a little while, but it’s not sustainable long term; you will end up being less productive. The tortoise and the hare scenario has never been more apt.
.
To read more, click HERE!